Published December 2007

Pumping Prowess

By Jim Kneiszel (page 44)

Liquid waste haulers with an eye on bigger profits and better efficiency will find a lot of learning opportunities at the 2008 Pumper & Cleaner Expo.

Pumping professionals face plenty of challenges these days. Increased regulation of their service and disposal practices, tight competition and complex technology advances are among the many issues that come to the forefront when waste-hauling contractors gather for a trade show.

Some of the brightest minds in the environmental services industry will attack these and more topics of interest during the education programs at the 2008 Pumper & Cleaner Expo, Feb. 27 to March 1, at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.

Education Day on Wednesday, Feb. 27, features a cross-section of seminars to help companies that service and maintain onsite septic systems and provide portable sanitation. Seminars continue on Thursday, Feb. 28, and Friday, Feb. 29, as the Expo hits its stride on the massive show floor.

For contractors who want to expand their business to onsite system installation and maintenance, Thursday will include a full-day Certified Onsite Installer Course.

Pumpers will want to consider the following 2008 Expo education seminar offerings:

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 27 - EDUCATION DAY

The Education Day program includes seminar tracks sponsored by the National Association of Wastewater Transporters Inc., the National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association, the National Environmental Health Association and the National Precast Concrete Association.

The NAWT track covers some of today’s hottest topics for pumpers. Sessions include:

• Responsible Management Entities: At 8 a.m., A.R. Rubin will present the onsite and decentralized solution as a permanent alternative to more centralized systems and discuss options to assure sustainable management.

• Experts Review of ATU Operations and Maintenance: At 9:30 a.m. Bruce Lesikar presents aerobic treatment unit technologies and shares “tricks of the trade’’ to assess performance of the new products.

• A Visionary Review of the Agricultural Utilization of Septage: At 11 a.m., Stephen Rohm will discuss new requirements for haulers who want to continue land-applying waste. The seminar will address the impact of recent changes to the federal Clean Water Act and a variety of management issues.

• Why a Municipality Opens a Septage Treatment Facility: At 1 p.m., Chris Buday of Grand Traverse County, Mich., explains the history of that community’s efforts to start a septage facility.

• When is Septage Really Septage? At 2:30 p.m., Tom Frank, a certified National Association of Wastewater Transporters Inc. inspector and president of the Ohio Waste Haulers Association, will explain disposal options for a variety of residential, commercial and industrial wastes. This may be helpful for contractors who would like to add new services to their portable sanitation or septic pumping businesses.

• How to Survive an Environmental Protection Agency Audit: At 4 p.m. John Colletti will discuss requirements for pumpers who want to land-apply septage, including application rates and pathogen reduction alternatives.

The NOWRA track covers basic knowledge about the installation of onsite systems, which may interest pumping professionals looking to expand in that area. Sessions are:

• Introduction to the Site Evaluation Process: At 8 a.m., presenters John Buchanan and Dave Lindbo give an overview of what needs to be done before, during and after a field visit.

• Introduction to Soils: At 9:30 a.m., basic soil science methods and terminology will be explained as they relate to onsite systems.

• Water Movement and Treatment in Soils: At 11 a.m., the topic is treatment processes, the flow of water through soil and out of the dispersal media into the soil.

• System Design Related to Soil and Site Conditions: At 1 p.m., design principles, including long-term acceptance rate and selection of the right system to suit the site, will be discussed.

• Systems Design Related to Installation: At 2:30 p.m., presenters will discuss system layouts and issues related to installation and drainfield protection during construction.

• Post-Construction Site Evaluation: At 4 p.m., discussion will turn to site evaluation for operation and maintenance or time-of-sale inspection.

The Portable Sanitation Association International is offering two sessions of interest to pumpers who provide portable sanitation services:

• Procedural Breakdown for Special Events: Sessions at 1 and 2:30 p.m. will cover identifying special event opportunities, conducting a pre-bid evaluation, the bidding process, planning, logistics, handling difficult customers, event conclusion and equipment return.

The NEHA track focuses on technical system installation issues and on national credentialing for installers. Sessions are:

• Point-of-Sale Inspection: At 8 a.m., Elizabeth Dietzmann will discuss how to inspect systems to detect trouble before the sale or transfer of a property.

• Becoming a Certified Installer: At 9:30 a.m., Christl Pokorney will give an overview of the knowledge, skills and training required to pass the Certified Installer of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems credential exam.

THURSDAY, FEB. 28

The Thursday program includes these seminars that may interest pumping professionals:

• Safety in Excavation: At 8 a.m., Gary Hooks, from Safety Corporation of America, will give a seminar on training employees in the hazards of excavation.

• Water Softener Effects on Onsite Wastewater Systems: At 9:30 a.m., Mark Gross of Orenco Systems Inc. will speak on how backwash brine from water softeners could affect onsite system performance.

• Increasing Profits — Clear Computing: At 9:30 a.m., Joel Smith will cover business practices to improve your sales and receivables from existing customers and help identify “loss leaders’’ that reduce profits.

• How to Develop an Employee Training Program — ACORP/ ROOTERMAN: The 11 a.m. seminar will feature Donald MacDonald offering a step-by-step approach to organizing and conducting successful training programs.

FRIDAY, FEB. 29

The Friday portable restroom seminar track includes the following presentations:

• Building a Portable Restroom Business — Hampel Corp.: At the 8 a.m. session, Hampel’s Patrick Van Tyle will cover key aspects of starting and growing a portable sanitation business.

• Building Profits With Restroom and Shower Trailers — Ameri-Can Engineering: At 9:30 a.m., David Harling of Ameri-Can will discuss building a clientele and operating system for providing restroom and shower trailers for special events.

• Maintaining the Modern Pump Truck — Satellite Industries: At 11 a.m., John Olson of Satellite will discuss servicing the vacuum system and inspection of other components of a vacuum truck.

Learn more and register

Check the listing in this magazine for the room locations of these seminars and for a complete schedule of education programs. To find out more about the 2008 Expo, or to register, visit www.pumpershow.com or call 800/257-7222. The early registration fee of $40 applies until Jan. 25, 2008. Registration at the door is $60.

?Installer Certification Course

The Certified Onsite Installer Course runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 28. Jim Anderson and David Gustafson of the University of Minnesota onsite program will train participants on the basics of installing onsite systems. An optional exam will be given afterward.

Those who pass will be recognized as Certified Onsite Installers and will be prepared to move on to continuing education sessions, such as the NEHA national installer credential and the NAWT Certified Inspector Course.